


Barbershop Quartet

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, But I should still tag this, But still worth reading?, It's a barbershop quartet, Kinda gets sad?, Marauders, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 16:05:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5254634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James's idea was never meant to be taken seriously</p>
            </blockquote>





	Barbershop Quartet

It started as a joke. After over hearing some of Remus’s records, which had been sent to him by his mother, an avid listener to The Suntones, James insisted that they should start a barbershop quartet. Despite his loud insistence, however, no one took it seriously, not even James himself. That is, until Lily Evans heard of James’s foolish idea.

“None of you can sing,” she half-sneered as she brushed past James.

Suddenly it became a challenge.

Less than an hour later James had barged into the boy’s dormitory, sheet music in hand and a bright grin on his face. “Alright! Let’s start!"

Sirius, half-leaning on Remus, raised an eyebrow incredulously at the large stack of paper thrusted into his hands. “What the bloody hell is this?”

“It appears to be music,” Remus answered sarcastically, earning a slap on the shoulder from Sirius. “But really, James, why are you giving us this?”

“The barbershop quartet,” James beamed. “Isn’t it brilliant?"

“It’s bloody stupid,” Sirius sighed, flopping back against the mattress, knocking the music off the bed as he did so and not caring in the least as they scattered wildly on the floor. He ignored the slight pout James gave him as they fell, as well as the disapproving glare from Remus. “I’m not doing it.”

“Of course you are,” James insisted. “I know you can sing, we need you!”

Sirius rolled his eyes and groaned. “How do you know that?"

“Because you sing in the showers,” Remus reminded him quietly.

“I’m not doing it.”

James stuck his tongue out at Sirius childishly before spinning around to Peter and thrusting another copy of music into his hands. “You’re with me, Wormtail, aren’t you?”

“I don’t really know,” he muttered as he flipped through the pages. The protests died in his throat, however, when James leaned over him with wide eyes and bottom lip sticking out. It was obvious how poorly humility suited him, but Peter couldn’t help but give in. “I guess it could be fun.”

James clapped him on the back loudly and turned back to Remus and Sirius. “See? Even Peter’ll do it!”

“You might as well,” Remus said before Sirius could refuse again. “He’ll forget about it in a couple of weeks."

He did, of course. James could never keep his attention on anything that wasn’t Lily Evans for very long. After a few failed practices, it was quickly discovered than neither James nor Remus could carry a tune, and Sirius’s disinterest in the whole thing kept him from being any help. But for a brief moment, when Peter sang, he had been the center of attention. No one was listening to James’s next plan, laughing at Sirius’s crude jokes, or even praising Remus’s brilliance. For once, Peter held everyone’s attention and it was him who was admired.

But then things had gone back to normal. James forgot about his plan to woo Lily with a song and Peter’s penchant for music went unappreciated. It didn’t matter, he told himself. As long as he could hold onto that memory of belonging. When he could stand beside James, Remus, and Sirius and feel like their equal.  
Standing over the freshly dug graves, however, Peter couldn’t help but think of how it wasn’t enough. How it would never be enough.

The notes quivered in the air as he sang over the headstones. If only the others could have heard.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in a while and am terrified to face the AC fandom (because I suck and bailed on them a few months ago), but I'm trying to write again. So there's that.


End file.
